The prime minister, who was accompanied by his wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohammad Ali, drove in an SUV to see for himself the trail of destruction caused by the storm.

Mahathir, who is also the Langkawi MP, spent about 15 minutes there.

Uprooted trees had been cleared away but damage involving business premises was still visible throughout the area.

The storm and strong winds hit the area at about 7.45pm causing damage to business premises, uprooting trees, damaging vehicles, and leaving electrical cables lying on roads.

Several others areas in Kedah, Perlis and Penang were also affected.